Glimmering
by Aubitt
Summary: He opened his apartments wooden door, its old paint now peeling off in streaks and there he was greeted to a boy, who had missed his train, asking to be sheltered.


Berwald was startled to say the least the night was in the midst of its reign, 2 am to be exact yet he was awake unable to sleep so spent his time occupying his mind until drowsiness over took his body. But just as his eyes began to droop an ever so faint knock echoed through the door dragging him out of his slumbered daze. At first, he thought of it being fabricated by his sleepy daze, and so ignored it, the warmth of the heater being too comfortable to resist. Besides, who in the world would knock at such an ungodly hour?

But then he heard another tap at the door.

He groaned, irritation began seeping through replacing the drowsiness he felt, slumping his head forwards on the table before stretching himself attempting to awaken his aching body. He lazily drifted to the other side of the apartment towards the front door, careful in navigating himself around the room, only the dim candle light from his table served as a source of guidance. He scavenged for the keys, wearing his glasses could have helped, but he left them on the said table. Eventually he does reach the door and opens to find there from the murkiness of the night a boy with diaphanous hair.

No words were spoken, the boy didn't seem to notice that Berwald had opened the door, his head was tilted slightly and his eyes lost somewhere. Not even the gust of fleeting warm air caught his attention. Berwald was puzzled, he observed the boy.

Was he drunk? Was what he initially thought. No stench of alcohol wafted around him, he didn't stagger and was up right, although Berwald himself wasn't all together awake to properly make good assumptions. He concluded that he wasn't anyway. He scanned the figure up and down, he was decently dressed, thick coat and a scarf that seemed to go on and on around his neck. He was just a boy possibly around the same age as himself. He cleared his throat to catch the boys' attention. To this the boy tensed and looked up with slight disbelief spread across his features.

"Ah..." the boy began, Berwald was becoming more and more restless by the minute.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice you opened the door but..." he began giving a smile although one that seemed bitter and almost forced "I'm Tino."

The boy, Tino paused looking cautiously at Berwald, waiting for a response but received none and so continued.

"I know it's late, I'm sorry for disturbing you but I've ran out of money and I need a place to stay over just for tonight" he said this at a slow pace looking carefully up at Berwald as if he feared of offending him.

"I missed my train ride today, I've only got enough money left for that train ride home tomorrow, just please if you have anywhere spare I could sleep in."

"You missed the train?" Berwald replied, his nose now burning from the cold beginning to drip.

"Just for tonight please. I'll sleep wherever on the couch on the floor, I'll leave early in the morning." the tone in Tino's voice became slightly pleading, desperation now filled in his eyes.

Berwald was baffled.

Was this one of Matthias tricks? He is the type of person to do these things, he sometimes came tumbling in late at night after an outing with his friends. At times, he had sent some of his own friends to Berwalds' apartment and out of courtesy and pity he let them stay the night to catch the train home the next morning. Although other times when he was busy working or simply surprised by the whole ordeal, sends them on their way away with a simple glare.

"Did Matthias send you here?" Berwald said his brows knitted together.

"What?" Tino looked genuinely baffled, his voice raised slightly confusion and eyes wide.

"Did you come here by yourself?"

"Well I am the only one standing here, am I not?" Tino grinned with his brows raised.

Berwald looked at the boy in front of him. What should he do? He couldn't just send the person on his way nor couldn't he slam the door in his face. But he was a stranger, sure if he where one of Matthias friends then maybe, but this was a complete random person.

Berwald looked at him with tired eyes and evaluated the situation. He could send the boy away, refuse his request and slam the door. He most likely wouldn't remember him in the morning all would be fine nor harm or danger would be put on to him. _He would be out in the cold all night._ If he were to tell refuse the boys request, he was to be left in the cold continuing his search for shelter. He frowned bitterly, this was definitely something he could not do, although the easiest Berwald would not risk letting someone suffer to fulfil his own needs.

He took a glance inside his dark apartment, the candlelight now gone. There is more than enough for him alone, the boy did not need much space, he could let the boy come in and sleep for the night on his couch. _The boy could be a criminal_. But at the same time, he could be absolutely fine; normal. He turned back to look at the boy who was still staring at him eagerly, he looked normal, there was no menacing aura that surrounded him.

"Well..." Berwald looked the latter again. The sudden spoken word broke the pregnant silence that wafted over them and Tino instantaneously perked up gaining eye contact, which seemed to pin him down in his place. This sudden attention made Berwald hesitate, unsure with what to say. _The boy could be a criminal._ The though surfaced again attaching itself in the middle of his mind and repeated, releasing a realm of different emotions from insecurity to curiosity to then irritation and then back to calmness, before ultimately, he decided on his decision.

"...Just for tonight?"

Tino smiled.

"Just tonight"

Berwald wanted to sleep, if Tino was a criminal, if he did come and steal everything it didn't matter.

"Sure" he replied.

He'll just deal with it in the morning.

* * *

The smell of coffee lingered the room, it travelled from the kitchen through to where he was, crouched in his bedroom digging through the bottom of his wardrobe that held blankets for the boy to borrow. Berwald huffed as he finally found the thick knitted cloth, he casted it aside before closing the wardrobe and languidly pulled himself up again. The drowsiness returned, the warmth and the scent which circulated around his compact yet homely apartment seemed to have mystifying effect on him.

Once Berwald had let him enter, he realised just how cold the boy was with the rattling of his body and the blue stained finger tips. Although he received numerous protest from the latter he still preceded to boil hot water and present him the cupboard with all the powdered hot drinks and mugs. He travelled to the darkened hallway and into the next room where he found Tino standing on the kitchen counter sipping coffee. He noticed Berwald's presence and smiled.

"I made you some coffee. It's black, I didn't know if you wanted any sugars or not" he said.

Berwald dropped off the blanket on the couch before heading himself to the walk-in kitchen and accepting the newly brewed drink. He really was going to sleep, he felt his eyes breaking stance with eyelids becoming heavier and heavier by the minute, although bitterness hit him it did not faze the drowsy feeling. Eyes where lingering on him now and he turned to Tino who he then realised said something to which he failed completely in processing.

Tino seemed to notice this and repeated himself, something about the coffee and what not. Berwald replied with a grunt and a nod to then the smaller gave a small smile before returning to his own drink. Berwald chugged the remaining liquid down, set the mug aside and attempted to shake the sleepiness away from his eyes. He was then about to travel to the couch until he heard the setting of a mug. The boy giving a small sigh and maneuvering away from the kitchen, carefully navigating his way around the counter and heading his way to the couch.

He crouched down and began the task of unfolding the blanket, Berwald grabbed a corner stretching it out and across. To this the boy turned to him and stopped.

"Don't worry about the blanket, there's no need in making it look nice I'll sort it out." he said softly "You letting me in is more than enough, you should go ahead and sleep you look tired."

"You sure?" his voice was heavy like his body.

"Yeah, it's fine. Ah but before you go, could you tell me where your bathroom is?"

"Over there" he pointed behind Tino to a door "the light switch is inside"

"Thanks" the boy gave him a smile before turning away a continuing the task.

Berwald glanced to the side to look towards the window before realising that he had left all of his paints in a cluttered mess. With a sigh, he slumped his way to his table, feet dragging across the carpet and started assembling the tubes to the right caps and placing them in to their designated containers. He was happy to find that none had dried, some had formed a skin at the top but was easily peeled away and placed with a cap. Next where the paintbrushes he used, he swirled them in the water filled cup then brushed the excess away with the cloth on the side then slipped downwards underneath the table which hid a wooden cupboard that stored his supplies. He opened the first draw which contained boxes of gouache and watercolour palettes, he stacked the boxes of paint on top of one another and dropped the paintbrushes towards the left side. The candle had completely dwindled in to a puddle of solid wax at the bottom, the wick gone leaving nothing but a burnt point.

"...are you an artist by any chance?"

He turned to the voice behind and hummed looking towards Tino who sat on the couch peering curiously at the table. The boy caught his gaze and startled.

"Sorry, I'm being nosy"

"It's fine" Berwald mumbled turning his body to face Tino and nodding.

"What kind of things do you paint?" Tino said, slowly.

"Everything, whatever comes across my mind"

To this the smaller of the two hummed, nodding and resting his head on top of his leg before closing his eyes with hooded tired eyes.

"Are you working on anything at the moment?", he peered at Berwald through one eye.

"...a few things"

"Oh really?"

"I have a commission to do for a friend of mine"

An awkward silence followed between the two. The boy fidgeting avoiding his gaze and peering around. From the dark of the room Berwald could outline the way the boys' shoulders would move as he took breathes and exhales peacefully. His eyesight barely adjusted under the lowlight, rays from the moon casted some help, but ultimately wasn't enough to make any significant difference.

"I'm sure it'll turn out good, I mean I haven't seen your work but assuming, as it is your job, it'll look great" The boy whispers after a while.

Berwald blinks, he stares at the shadow of the boy and simply nods, letting the silence take over again.

"I'm surprised really" the boy perked, pausing before continuing "I didn't think you would have let me in, thank you for this really."

The boy gave him a look that flickered with gratitude. He gave a hum back, the world a fuzzy haze; he tried his best to concentrate on the boy's voice as he spoke in a hushed tone. His voice was lively, melodic at times suggesting he was not from here but from an area far away.

"I know letting a stranger in risky," the boy stretched out his palms before yawning and propping himself to his knees. "I owe you, if we ever meet each other again I'll make up for it"

The boy then began to occupy himself standing signaling the end of the conversation. Berwald didn't protest and after a few seconds of trying to awaken his body he brought himself up stretching his neck cracking, he needed to rest even if it was for a few hours. Without a word, he began walking his way towards his room, he turned around to look at Tino who now sat in a daze on the sofa transformed in to a makeshift bed. The moon light casted shadows across his face, a glow surrounded him, suited him actually. It was a pretty sight, he made a mental note to doodle it sometime the next day. He turned cracking his bedroom door open, the floor boards underneath squeaking that he almost missed the whisper that was spoken:

"Goodnight" the boy said.

"Goodnight" Berwald replied.

And there he left the boy with the violet eyes and the diaphanous hair seated under the rays of moonlight.

* * *

He awoke to the sound of rain pelting above him, for a while he let himself drown in the comfort listening intensively for the sounds each individual drop hitting the roof made. Sounds seem to align together, forming a soothing euphony he followed the ticking of the clock, the muffled creaks and thumps of wood bending as if the very apartment itself sighed with dreariness under the weather. He followed his breathing inhaling in and exhaling out letting himself be a part of the orchestra. It felt as if he had awoken from a 100-year slumber finding himself in a time that felt so distant he felt old hands and lips dry, breathe stale. The sounds that encompassed him was calming, it was comforting and lulled him.

He sank.

His eyelids twitched as slowly his eyes opened, mouth filling with water. Blue. Small bubbles escaped him, he was floating in an ocean so wide a blue so pure and pristine. He turned, arms waving beside him and he swam. He stopped once the blue started to rattle at him mentally cursing and closing his eyes. Something brushed his feet. He jolted, looking downwards only to be faced with nothing but mere fish. They were of fish of all kinds, beady eyed scup with their round bodies, haddock marred with their brown scales and tails flipping, there where tuna and flounders, butterfish and herrings travelling in schools. Some swam with enthusiasm; they would reach up sometimes and nip his cheeks, the curious ones like the scup happily attempting to swallow his fingers. He gave a sigh, and more beads of air bubbles escaped and floated upward.

After a while he became tired of it all, the fish becoming too much, now wanting release and so he swam; he swam lower until fish no longer could be seen, just a deep blue shrouded his vision. He turned his body, as to look upwards and watch but faint shapes of light, he saw the surface, clear with no more fish, no more thoughts, what remained were flickering patterns created by the waves above him he felt at ease, sheltered, complete. Comfort. He felt so much shelter under within the mass he found himself breathing with ease, inhaling in and exhaling out, he closed his eyes and let himself float.

The cold slowly began to nip at him from toes and individual fingers to then travel upwards towards his arm, the tranquility slowly turning to discomfort. He tried to open his eyes again but found he could not, as if they his eyelids been glued together. He stretched his arms to reach his face, body lurching forwards like a babe. Fingers began rubbing brushing across eyelashes and skin, trying to get away whatever that was there that stopped him from opening his eyes. He still could not however, he found himself becoming short of breath. Discomfort. The shelter now seemed to eat away at him. He was quickly losing air, his body now thrashing as he tried all he could to open his eyes and expand his lungs but ultimately failed. His body felt as if it was crumpling inwards his fingers twisting towards him and lungs squashing together.

This trance was broken however, he heard a whistle from somewhere, somewhere far, a noise that broke the numbing ocean as it gave a high pitch shrill. He opened his mouth and gave a shout following that sound from the surface. Suddenly he was up coughing, his body moving forwards as he gasped for air. His entire body trembled as he hacked trying to catch his breath. What was that sound? That sound it came closer now close enough for it to pierce his ears before he quieted them with his hands. Berwald pushed backwards smothering himself on to slightly damp bedsheets that carried his sweat. Eyes cracking open before retracting back again as light that filtered through became too unbearable to handle. He groaned rolling over to dip his face into the pillow and wrapping the blanket surrounding him closer. He knew where he was now, the comfort of his home, on his bed instead of floating in the deep blue. He shuddered before coughing again, his body still felt heavy as it coaxed itself in to awakening. Discomfort and displeasure remained, however not as intense as it was from the sea within his dream. He tried once again to open his eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the light.

"Berwald, are you ok?" called a voice. He jumped at the sound of his name, fully alert and heart racing. That was until he realized, Tino. It was the boy from 2am, he was still here. The boy knocked before opening the door at the taller form slumped on the bed frame. It was all just a nightmare, Berwald sighed, raising his hands to his face, a slight frown formed from his lips although completely concealed from the boy.

Although vision fuzzy and body weak he pushed himself upwards to find the clock, 5:47am it read. He had only roughly had about 3 hours of rest and he found himself making a weak noise as he rested his back on to the bedside frame.

"It's still early, how are you awake?" his voice was hoarse, he cleared his throat before rubbing his eyes again.

"I was boiling the water, for coffee and heard you from your room" the boy gave a small chuckle. He gave a grin before turning his head behind him staring at something at the side. "I was planning on going before the first train comes, I think it's at 6:30" There was a rise in intonation making the statement sounding more like a question.

Berwald grunted and attempted to stand up, shifting his way out of the blankets and stepping on the cold wooden floor, he gave a hiss and pushed himself upwards startling the boy at the door way. "Are you sure you're ok?"

He still felt sluggish, every movement seemed to drain an amount of his energy away. "I'm fine, a nightmare" he retorted. He looked at the form in front of him draped in the same jeans and a turtleneck he wore when he first came in, blonde hair in chaos. "Don't worry."

Once entering the living room-kitchen set up he found that Tino had already made two cups of coffee. He took it with gratitude and there the two stood in silence, Berwald at one side of the kitchen and the boy at the other, caffeine now coursing through his veins body now becoming lively.

"You hungry?" Berwald stated more then asked as he place his cup in to the sink and edged his way over to the stove, turning it on and reaching for the pan.

'No, no! I'm fine really" Tino shuffled his body in to the corner of the sink to place his empty mug away, the protest was almost useless as Berwald had already reached for a pan in the cupboard and started the cooker. A moment later, sizzling could be heard as eggs and strips of bacon where placed on to the pan, oil spluttering angrily in an outcry, the smaller of the two stood there with a frown; disapproval in his eyes.

So, he would ask Berwald questions. He searched for cutlery and plates in the cupboard and whether he wanted cups or ketchup or even more coffee, the taller of the two would simply nod or shook his head listening to the downpour and the thumps and the movement, the noise created in his apartment he so rarely heard. Disarrayed noise of people was something that he usually avoids but sometimes longs for, he lived alone with music and the television his signs of comfort when the silence became too intolerable; although he preferred to be alone sometimes he misses company or at least what it sounds like.

Morning went by slowly with haze, they sat apart, Tino on the couch now stripped from the blankets and pillow that adorned it from the previous night, folded in a pile on the carpeted floor whilst Berwald on the kitchen counter. Dizziness and the drowsiness fled as they were replaced with alertness, of being awake although vision still fuzzy Berwald sighed as the morning showers ramble above him. Glasses where placed back on his face, its metallic body molding to the curves of his features he could finally see properly. Dishes where placed into the sink where the leaking faucet would expel water drip by slow drip until they were closed shut. Time seemed to flow by, it was nearing Tino's departure.

It reaches 6:30 far too quickly and the two find themselves within the dreary train station building, the rain still pelted down leaving a sluggish and tired sheen across the awakening area. The boy originally planned on walking to the building himself, but Berwald opposed to the idea and convinced to take him there. Although the downpour reduced its strength now just mere droplets of fine mist dusting the area he still could leave the boy walking. He taps his fingers on the wheel, a shape that rested uncomfortably in his palms, it was a while since he had driven, the windshield wipers squeaking in to action the car itself felt odd to handle. The thought of being outside after days cooped in his apartment felt strange too, within the short period of driving from his home to the train station Berwald had experienced more human interaction by driving with other cars along with Tino than through the last 5 days.

"You've got everything?" Berwald asked leaning on the wheel, as Tino unbuckled himself from the seat belts hold, eyes flickering through the numerous drops of rain that held on for dear life on the window before being blown away.

"I do, thank you"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure"

Berwald gave a hum nodding his head, the two in agreement with each other. Tino gave a sigh.

"I guess I'd better go before I miss another train" Tino, bemused laugh at himself, opening the door to leave. He turns back to look at Berwald again, hair flaring as the wind tousled it over. The boy gives a smile, a soft and truly honest smile and locked eyes with him,

"You've helped me so much, I don't know how to pay you back for this nor can I really thank you enough."

"Thank you, again" and with that he slams the door shut, the boy wrapping himself up with his jacket giving one last final smile through the rain streaked window and leaves his body slowly merging with the rest of the crowd.

* * *

 **A little note**

I've been meaning to write a story for these two for a long, long time but never managed to actually sit down and do so. This whole single chapter where 'Berwald finds an unexpected surprised when he opens the door' idea has been in my head for about a year, that it was almost ridiculous for me not to write it and so I sat and worked on it bit by bit. I have some ideas but ultimately no idea where this is going to go nonetheless I'm excited and I hope I've done a decent job with the first chapter.

This'll (hopefully) be a long one.

Thank you all!


End file.
